Tacara is better preserved than

Apadana and the TreasuryWhy?

*Perhaps it was spared when the

Macedonian king Alexander the Great

destroyed Persepolis in 330 B.C.

*His men were especially interested

in the palace of the man who had once

sacked Athens

*Darius was, in European eyes, not a

criminal.

6. PALACE OF KHASHAYAR SHAH

Called Hadiš in Persian Farsi, meaning

'dwelling place’

Twice as large as the Palace of Darius and

connected to it by a terrace The stairs are the

best-preserved part of the complex

CULTUREUnfortunately, royal inscriptions at Persepolis

provide only fragmentary information about

Hakhamaneshian. Thus the most comprehensive

source is the account by Herodotus, the Greek

historian:

Persian youth were taught three things: to ride, to

draw the bow, and to speak the truth

Agriculture flourished and justice was

administrated

Darius: “Worker”; Khashayar: “Warrior”??!!

The name and kingdom of Darius respected in

the ancient world

RELIGION

Persepolis: the spiritual heart of Persian empire

Early evidence of Zoroastrian religion: worshipped fire at

altars, sacrificed animals, drank Haoma (some sort of

hallucinogenic)

Herodotus: “The most disgraceful thing in the world they

[Persians] think, is to tell a lie.”reinforces Persians’ strong

belief in truth and scorning of lies

Also evidence of kings referring to Ahuramazda, the

Zoroastrian God:

Khashayar: “Ahuramazda, together with the gods”

Darius I: “Ahuramazda, together with the gods of the

royal house”

Destruction of

Persepolis

After invading Persia, Alexander the Great sent the main force of his army to

Persepolis in the year 330 BC by the Royal Road. Alexander stormed the Persian

Gates (in the modern Zagros Mountains), then quickly captured Persepolis before

its treasury could be looted. After several months Alexander allowed his troops to

loot Persepolis. A fire broke out in the eastern palace of Xerxes and spread to the

rest of the city. It is not clear if it had been a drunken accident, or a deliberate act

of revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens during the Second Hellenic-

Persian War. Many historians argue that while Alexander's army celebrated with a

symposium they decided to take revenge against Persians. In that case it would be

a combination of the two. The Book of Arda Wiraz, a Zoroastrian work composed

in the 3rd or 4th century CE, also describes archives containing "all the Avesta and

Zand, written upon prepared cow-skins, and with gold ink" that were destroyed.

After invading Persia, Alexander the Great sent the

main force of his army to Persepolis in the year 330 BC

by the Royal Road.

A fire broke out in the eastern palace of Xerxes and

spread to the rest of the city. It is not clear if it had been

a drunken accident, or a deliberate act of revenge for the

burning of the Acropolis of Athens.

Destruction of Persepolis

There are a number of indications that the site was not

permanently settled during its period of use.

From looking at patterns of wear on steps, thresholds and

floors, it is apparent that the site was not occupied permanently

The site was a ceremonial and spiritual centre for the

Achaemenid empire, a sacred site used only for the

performance of certain rituals and events, such as the crowning

and burial of kings and the presentation of tribute from the

conquered nations.

WAS PERSEPOLIS AN

OCCUPATIONAL SITE?

The capital of Cyrus in 550 B.C

Parsargarda (settlement of the Persians); Parsagadeh (the throne of

Parsa); Parsagert (the fortress of Parsa)

About 80 kilometres north of Persepolis

Surrounded by mountains; very cold in winters and hot in summers

After Cyrus took over the Median empire he honoured himself by

building a new capital; referred to himself as the empire of Asia

After Persepolis still used for crowning Persian kings

Pasargadae

ZENDAN

TOMB OF CYRUS

PALACE P

PALACE S

1. TOMB OF CYRUS

Qabr-i Madar-i Sulaiman

The inscription inside Cyrus’ golden coffin: “Mortal! I am

Cyrus, son of Cambyses, who founded the Persian Empire,

and was Lord of Asia. Grudge me not, then, my monument.”

White limestone, 5.5 meters high

Patterned after the ziggurat of Choga-zanbil, but many

features are Lydian and Greek

No firm evidence identifying the tomb as that of Cyrus,

Greek historians tell us that Alexander III of Macedon

believed it was so.

2. ZENDANE SULAIMAN

What is left of this tower today is one wall about 13

meters high with three rows of false windows

A staircase of 29 steps probably ascended to the

chamber

Great resemblance to the better-preserved

Ka`aba-i Zardusht in Naghshe Rostam

What was their purpose?

1. Fire Temples

2. Repositories for archives or royal objects

3. Tombs

3. TALL-i-TAKHT

The oldest part of Pasargadae was the citadel, which is known

as Tall-i-Takht or 'throne hill'. It overlooks the palace complex

itself. This consists of two smaller units: the residential palace

(built from cold white natural stone) and a columned audience

hall. The visitor first has to pass a gate and then has to cross a

bridge over the river Pulvar.

4. PALACE S: The white column, the oldest known

stone pillar in Iran, is more than 13 meters high, which

gives an indication of the size of the building. The black

capitals resembled bulls, griffins, lions, and horses. The

first three types are also known from Persepolis

Modern

reconstruction of

Palace S

5. PALACE PThis is Palace P (Tall-i Takht in the distance again),

usually regarded as the residence of the great king. It is

rather curious that the remains of the columns -five rows

of six pillars- all reach the same height. Probably, only

the lower parts of the columns were made of stone; the

upper parts were made of wood.

6. THE GARDEN AND THE BRIDGE

The bridge had five rows of three stone columns

It was probably wooden

Two pavilions set in a park-like setting

Traces of an extensive set of water courses

irrigation

A jar with thirty-seven different kinds of precious

objects: gold bracelets, earrings, bells, silver spoons,

and pearl beads

The objects date between 350-450 B.C hidden

when Alexander sacked Pasargadae?

Persians were the first to develop the so-called

paradise or royal park

The Bridge

The Gate

Interesting Fact...

Latest research on Pasargadae’s structural

engineering has shown the Achaemenid

engineers constructed the city to withstand a

severe earthquake, at what would today be

classified as a '7.0' on the Richter magnitude

scale